11 Ways to Deal with Exam Stress

As we feel more stressed or panicky towards exams, we tend to concentrate less on our preparation thus, doubting our true abilities. Working towards examinations or other tests are always going to be straining us. If this stress increases further, it can begin to have a deteriorating effect on our performance.

I am sure for many of you, examinations must have been a nightmare. As students, we do fear that we might disappoint our parents or might lose the respect of our teachers and peers if we score low at any subject. Dealing with such a pressure, stress has become a common phenomenon, especially among young children! For most students, exams are something that’s unavoidable and often a stressful part of their lives, and there are usually a lot of habits that students incorporate into preparing for their exams.

Things which does not work out in your favor:

Unrealistic goals

Nobody can revise 10-15 topics in one day. Avoid setting unrealistic goals and be more realistic, otherwise, your day would turn into a sheer disappointment. You can aim for completing one topic in an hour or 2, and finish it off within the realistic time frame. This way your goal will be achieved and your time would be utilized judiciously.

Saturating yourself

Don’t cut off all the pleasure and enjoyment from your life since it’s impossible to concentrate without giving your brain some rest by doing your leisure activities or things that entertain you.

Stimulants

With the exposure of easily-available stimulants in the market, students often hamper their energy and focus on consuming alcohol, caffeine, and drugs. One must avoid such stimulants as they hinder your preparation, and are not healthy in the long-term.

But of course, there are several things one can do to minimize this exam stress:

Exams are not the only measure of success

This is a misconception that young children grow up having, due to influence from family, peers, and society overall, that doing well in exams is the only road to success. Your attitude, skills, expertise and passion, these too majorly contribute to how well you do in your life as well.

Prioritize sections/areas easier to score

Know which areas are important and carry more weightage wherein you can score more, is a smart way to help yourself revise those topics first so as to allocate marks in your hands.

Schedule your day

Your time of examination should not overshadow other domains of your life. The timing of your meals and sleep pattern should not change. Allot time and prepare a schedule for your studies, your hobby, social life. The amount can vary with the need.

Worrying won’t change your marks

Once you’re done with an exam, move on to the next. If you keep thinking about it for the rest of the day, it is surely going to hinder your preparation for the rest of your exams as well. Do remember, a mark sheet is a culmination of the scores for all the subjects!

Taking care of health paves a way for better preparation

Eat food with nutrition that gives your body and brain enough concentration during an exam and its preparation.

Get your 8-hours of sleep every night

Drink lots of water

Go for a short walk – exercise can help you de-stress quickly

Find activities that can help you relax – like watching your favorite show, or painting whatsoever you find solace in.

Make exams your time-bound assignment

Imagine your exams to be a project or a task, which would end in a definite period of time. If your exams are 20 days away, then take it as your 20-day challenge, buck up and set a countdown. You still have days to prepare and score well.

Form small chunks of your revision

Make short-term goals by revising what you need to do each day. It will break down your revision, and help you form a plan to go about every day, thus giving you motivation.

Quick de-stressing: Being okay with the consequences

Any distress will never motivate us to do better. Why do you get distressed about your exam? Because of the consequences. Getting bad marks won’t make you unsuccessful. It is just a temporary procedure of measuring your understanding in subjects. Do not believe that one bad mark would impede your overall success and potentials.

Take Inspiration and dump Comparison

When we start comparing ourselves to others, it surely has no end to it. One of the key reasons to experience exam stress is due to comparison with peers.

Get inspired by each other on how they manage stress and what qualities makes their exam preparation better than yours.

Communicate with your parents and manage their expectations

It is very important for your parent to know what you think of your capacities, how much you’re able to do. Communicate with them about it. Let them know that you need their support and encouragement.

Get it out of your system

If you’re feeling really tensed or anxious, try to chat with a friend, any family member or your tutor. It can help you to get it out of your system, and you may be able to receive some practical approach towards dealing with your exam stress.

Still Feeling Stressed?

De-stressing techniques for exams are available everywhere. Should you still feel the need, you can talk to our counselors who are experienced in dealing with such issues and place yourself in the right direction of preparing yourself to soar higher. Not only in exams, but in life as a whole!

Disclaimer: Please note that we are not a crisis intervention helpline. Should you have severe symptoms or have thought about harming yourself, please seek immediate medical help or call suicide prevention helplines such as
Aasra 24x7 Helpline: 91-22-27546669